Welfare Council leader demands that the city government commits to taking care of its students

– Many describe Oslo as a city with many students and not as a student city, says the leader of the Welfare Council in Oslo and Akershus Idun Kløvstad.

The Welfare Council recently approved a plan of action for 2021. One of the measures Kløvstad wants to work for now is that Oslo City Government approves its own strategy with measures to best help the city’s students.

– We need the city to think about how they can contribute. We want them to conduct an internal review of what they envision they can do for the city’s students. We have many wishes, but it is important to have a dialogue that goes both ways, she says.

Many other student cities already have such an arrangement with specific measures. In Bergen they have worked with their student strategy (Studentmeldingen) since 2009. Also, Ålesund and Gjøvik have worked according to student strategies since 2016. Oslo City Government approved a so-called campus strategy in 2019, but Kløvstad suggests that it says more about innovation and business than about how to best ensure student welfare.

Read the fact box about the student strategies at the bottom of the article.

Oslo is also Norway’s most popular student city, with around 80,000 students, according to numbers from SSB. In comparison, there are around 40,000 students in each of the next biggest student cities Bergen and Trondheim.

– We need some progress in Oslo acknowledging that ten percent of their residents are students. There are no contributions to, for example, the mental health services for students. The city is talking about education and innovation districts, but we are very concerned with them also thinking of student welfare, says Kløvstad.

No money for students’ mental health

She points to Bergen City Government giving 1.3 million NOK for measures to improve students’ mental health last year, while Oslo gave nothing.

– Oslo City has a responsibility for all the city’s residents, but the students pay for a large share of their own mental health services through the semester fee, Kløvstad points out.

She adds that a committing student strategy should include measures for, among other things, student health, student culture, student sports and the building of student housing.

– But it’s not like Oslo does not have student politics. Why would a separate student strategy make a difference?

– It is easier if the city commits to doing something, rather than decisions being made along the way, Kløvstad says and adds:

– At the same time, students’ situation is constantly changing. So, I don’t mean that the City should approve a strategy and then we can sit still for five years, but I believe that such a strategy would create a good foundation that we can build on.

Therefore, Kløvstad believes there should be a set meeting point for the student organisations and the City, so that the dialogue can be maintained over time. In Bergen they already have such a meeting point, which was established in connection with the student strategy.

City Government: – Good dialogue

The Vice Mayor for Business Development and Public Ownership, Victoria Marie Evensen (Ap), confirms to Universitas that the Welfare Council is meeting the City Government to discuss the idea of a possible student strategy. But she does not agree that the dialogue between the student organisations and the City is poor.

– I believe that Oslo City has frequent and good dialogue with the student organisations about the issues they raise, and we want to include them in relevant forums.

Starting in 2021, representatives from the Welfare Council will be included in the Strategic collaboration forum for the capital of knowledge. The newly established platform discusses politics that contributes to making Oslo an attractive city for higher education, research and innovation. The platform is an extension of the campus strategy that the City is working in accordance with.

– It is important to us that the students are included, Evensen says.

– The criticism from the Welfare Council is that the campus strategy talks more about business development, innovation and research than the students’ welfare. Is student welfare not an important factor when it comes to attracting new students to Oslo?

– Yes, of course it is. But I would argue that the campus strategy contains several points that also concerns student welfare.

Not dismissive of the student strategy

Evensen points to, among other things, the development of student housing, meeting places and spaces for work experience as important preconditions for Oslo becoming a more attractive city for higher education, research and innovation.

– I believe that it is about much more than business development. There are many good points in that strategy which places focus on students. If we are going to be an attractive city for higher education and research both nationally and internationally it is obvious that the large student population Oslo has, and that we are proud of, is a decisive aspect of this, she says.

Evensen is not unaware that there can be a need for a separate student strategy.

– I’m not dismissive of it being a good idea, but I would want to discuss the content more with the Welfare Council, she says.

Dissatisfied with the housing situation and student environment

From the SHoT Study (national student survey) in 2018 it was made clear that students in Oslo were the most dissatisfied with the housing situation and student environment. The students gave the housing offer 49 out of 100 possible points. The student environment got 61 of 100 points.

Evensen acknowledges that the housing situation in Oslo is difficult, and that the City Government is concerned with maintaining a dialogue with SiO and the student organisations about improvement of student housing in the time ahead.

– The high housing prices is a challenge for most big cities, and this is the situation in Oslo too. It has been important for us to do what the City can to regulate more student housing, but it depends on for example SiO having projects that are ready and doable, says the Vice Mayor for Business Development and Public Ownership and adds:

– I think it would be exciting to see student housing projects in areas that we are less used to seeing them in. But if I have understood SiO correctly, students wish to live centrally. It is not a secret that working on housing projects in central areas is demanding.

Want more meeting places for students

Evensen also says that Oslo City is working with both the Welfare Council and SiO to establish a common student house in the capital. The vision for the student house is that it will function as a meeting place across different degree areas and institutions, and thus also contribute to a better student environment in the capital.

– The suggestion is now on the table of the ministers, she says.

– This is not the first time Oslo has been criticized for lacking a student environment. Do you think that Oslo is doing a good enough job to change this?

– I am first of all very proud of Oslo, not least as a centre for higher education, research and innovation. At the same time, there are always things that could be improved, says Evensen and continues:

– I was briefly at Blindern in the late 90’s and beginning of the 2000’s, and then there were also talks of the challenges as a student in Oslo compared to the other cities. We need the good environment and the important meeting places that ensure that the students not only do well, but are well. I think we absolutely can talk more about this and focus more on it in the time ahead.

Will not answer questions regarding grants for mental health

The Vice Mayor for Business Development and Public Ownership says she can’t answer to why Oslo did not, like Bergen did, give 1.3 million NOK to student welfare in 2020. She says this area is under the domain of the Vice Mayor for Health, Ageing and Municipal Services. The Vice Mayor for Health, Ageing and Municipal Services, Robert Steen (Ap) won’t answer this question either, but writes the following as a reply in an e-mail to Universitas:

– It’s been a heavy year for many students who have borne a great responsibility to keep infection down, from their small student accommodation. I’m very glad that we have begun mass testing and screening at campus, since testing regularly combined with the other infection measures can contribute to keeping infection down. Then we can, once again, see the students back in our city picture, and this is something the students are looking forward to.

– We are concerned about the population’s mental health after a year of pandemic and strict measures. The City Government is following the situation very closely and are looking into several low-threshold offers for those who are struggling.

Student strategy (Studentmelding)

• Several cities have approved so-called student strategies. This is mainly a political document that says something about how the city can conduct its student politics so as to attract more students.
• Themes such as student housing, welfare, culture, sports and student influence are usually discussed, together with a measurable strategy on how these areas can be improved.
• Bergen City was the first to approve a student strategy as early as in 2009 and is now in dialogue with the city on how a new version of this can be followed in the time ahead.
• As a result of the strategy the students in Bergen have a set meeting point with the city, where students themselves set the agenda for the meeting. The meeting is arranged at least once a year.